ALLEGED MURDER OF RCCG PASTOR: COURT TO DETERMINE SECOND DEFENDANT'S BAIL APPLICATION PLEA

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

On Monday, a Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex heard the bail application plea that was read by Spurgeon Ataene, the counsel to one of the teenagers who was alleged to have murdered a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on 2nd of December, 2021 in the Festac area of Lagos.

However, on the last adjourned date, Justice Sherifat Sonaike, adjourned the matter till 12th December, 2022 for the application of bail and until 10th January, 2023, for continuation of Trial while she indicated that the defendants do not need to be present for the hearing of the bail application.

While reading his plea, Ataene mentioned that the State has responded to the bail application that was filed on 2nd December, 2022 which requested that his client should be granted bail on the basis that he is a minor of 17-years-old.

According to Ataene, the response he got from the state says, “bail is at the discretion of the court.”

Meanwhile, the prosecution opposed to the application for bail stating that there was no exceptional circumstances for the court to grant the second defendant bail as he is charged with a three-count charged bothering on armed robbery, murder and conspiracy to rob which are serious offences that attract punishments.

He also mentioned that the nature of the trial, strength of the evidence and gravity of the punishment, previous conviction and likelihood that the defendant might interfere with the witness. He added that all these offences are evidence that justifies that the application should be decline adding that in his written address, no circumstance was established for the defendant to be granted bail.

Justice Sherifat Sonaike had remanded the two defendants, Farouk Mohammed, 16, and Kasali Jamiu, 19 after they were charged with four-counts bothering on armed robbery, murder, robbery conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder.

Recall that also on the last adjourned date Dada Omoniyi Micheal, the pastor’s brother, testified before the court that his brother was killed on December 2nd around noon in the church at Festac alleging that the defendants killed him.

He said that they killed the deceased by hitting him with a bottle and wooden plank on the head.

Justice Sherifat however, stood the matter down till 10th of January for ruling and continuation of Trial.